


My Biggest Mistake

by ShakespearePoet101



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Deathfic, F/M, IronWidow - Freeform, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tumblr: otpprompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 02:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12831168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShakespearePoet101/pseuds/ShakespearePoet101
Summary: So with a small, weak smile. Tony turned his head to the little flower and whispered. "My biggest mistake was not telling her I love her."OrThe one where no one realizes how short life really is.





	My Biggest Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like any more one shots, feel free to leave a prompt and I would be more than happy to write it.
> 
> I hope you like this one shot.

Tony Stark had made many mistakes in his life. Mistakes that he wished he could fix. The amount growing as he grew older. The order seemingly fluctuating as the years went by. Never seeming to cement itself into one clear, cohesive list of all his wrongs. Though if it were Tony knew that the list would be too long to finish, at least in his life time.

Though he knew the ones that stuck out. The ones that haunted his every waking moment, and lurked in his subconscious when he slept. Tony knew every single thing that he would have done differently if he could.

For starters he wouldn't have picked a fight with Steve. He wouldn't have opened his god damn mouth. He would have just done what his brain was telling him to do. He would have tried harder at becoming a true member of the Avengers.

He should have never allowed himself to sink into his familiar state of snarkiness. Even though it was what kept his heart safe. Even though it was the one thing he could always count on. The one constant in his ever-changing life. The one thing that people expected to hear and see when they met the great Tony Stark.

He should have tried harder at keeping Rhodey safe during the 'Civil War'. Even though his best friend told him it wasn't his fault. Tony knew deep down that it was. If he had just been forthcoming with Steve about his intentions with the Accords, then none of this would have happened. Rhodey would be able to walk, Clint could be with his family and the others wouldn't be outlaws. However, Howard's words echoed in his brain. Trust no one, not even when you think they have your backs, because the only one that will never betray you is yourself. Tony had lived by those words and once again it cost him.

He could remember a time when he was happy. When all his mistakes didn't matter, because he had people who actually cared about him. Now all the was gone because of him. Because of his mistakes. He could still remember the pain he felt as they all left him.

Pepper was the first to go. Though it didn't really surprise him. She always was way better off without him then with him. Though that didn't make the sting of her absence hurt any less. He had always hoped that even if they weren't involved that he would still have her friendship. However he understood why he couldn't have that. He seemed to hurt everything he touched.

Happy followed quickly after Pepper. Always the ever loyal friend to her. Though Tony was glad that there was someone to look after her. She was as bad as him when she got into a business deal. Hopefully Happy would be able to distract her. Even though it saddened him that he had lost Happy, he was glad that Pepper had someone. That was all that mattered.

The others, his old team, he couldn't stomach called them his family. Not after was had happened. Not after the war that changed everything. Showed where everyone's true loyalties laid. As well as the remembrance of Howard's words. Especially when she betrayed him. He had never expected a betrayal from her again, and he didn't expect to hurt so much the second time.

Although subconsciously he did. He knew exactly it would hurt so badly. Like a knife getting repeatedly stabbed into his chest, over and over again. He knew because that's what he got for falling in love again. For falling irreversibly in love with someone he could never have. Someone he knew would end up hurting him. Though his heart decided for the warnings to go to hell and do it anyways.

There was never a epiphany moment when he realized that he loves her. No he just looked at her once and knew. Even though his brain was trying to reason with him, his heart refused to listen. Nothing and no one mattered if it meant keeping her safe, and he had thought that she had felt the same. However, sadly, Tony was mistaken.

Though he shouldn't have been too surprised. After all he was a Stark and Stark's don't usually have happy endings. He should have heeded is fathers words and kept to his recluse life style, but then Rhodey happened and god damn it felt good to actually have someone that cared for him. Someone that he knew, or at least hoped, would never abandon him. Which caused him to begin to hope for a better future. Then Pepper came and that was like a breath of fresh air for him. Which caused his hope to rise that maybe, just maybe, his father was wrong about the world.

However like most things his father was rarely wrong. Tony really was worthless that even the great Steve Rodgers a.k.a. Captain America left him. The man that was too good for this world, let alone Tony.

Then there was Bruce. Bruce his other best friend. The man that had abandoned him just like everyone else. Though Tony understood again. Why go down with the ship, when there was aa perfectly good life raft to be used? Tony just wished that he could have done things differently.

Wished that his life could have turned out better than what he had made it.

Though that didn't really matter now, Tony thought as he turned his head to look at the desolate wall next to him. He could already feel the cold air seep through his skin and in to his bones. Like an icy hand of death, claiming yet another victim.

Tony felt his pain flourish as he remembered everything that had happened. Seeing his parents get murdered and then fighting Steve. To Steve leaving him, alone, in Siberia. Everything seemed to always end with him being left alone. Though that was something Tony was used to. Something he expected to happen eventually. No matter how much he tries to make it end differently, it will always end the same. Him alone until the very end.

Though as Tony felt his heart slow and his pain ebb away as the cold took a hold of him. He could help but think of his greatest mistake.

Tony turned his head towards the ground, towards the one small flower right beside his head. Even though it shouldn't be there it flourished when it was meant to die. Which made Tony think of her. Striving in a place that was meant to tear a person down. Growing stronger than what she was conditioned to be. Becoming the woman he admires and loves with everything he had.

So with a small, weak smile. Tony turned his head to the little flower and whispered. "My biggest mistake was not telling her I love her."

And as the soft declaration filtered through the air. The tiny little flower lost the beautiful blue glow that had been cast upon it. As the man before it passed on into the next great adventure. Finally going to a place where he belonged. With the ones he had lost, he could finally be happy.

oOo  
1 Year Later....

A woman stood at the grave of one of the greatest men she had ever known. Anthony Edward Stark wasn't like anyone she had met before. He was humble yet cocky, arrogant yet caring. He was everything and more than what she had hoped to find in a friend and maybe one day a husband.

However her conditioning had took its hold in her mind. Telling her that she was no good for him. Oh how she wishes she could take it back. Everything that she had done to him. She wishes she could take it back. Especially deserting him when he needed her most. Her heart still broke remembering it.

Maybe if she hadn't, then he would still be alive. She had seen the way he looked at her. She had known his feelings for her and she had ignored them. Even though everything in her body told her to embrace them. Her mind refused to be swayed by the silly notions of her heart.

Though as she looked down at the grave before her. She couldn't help but wish that; once, just once, she had allowed herself to be weak. To show her true emotions, but she hadn't and now she was paying the consequences.

As she turned away from the grave, she whispered her feelings. Even though she knew he wouldn't hear her. Even though afterwards she could feel a warmth suffuse her. As if he were there beside her.

"My biggest mistake was not saying I love you too."

And, with that Natasha Romanov walked away from the grave of the one man who ever truly loved her, and who she ever returned that love to. Even if it was too late. Maybe in another life they would get their happy ending.


End file.
